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(No Model.)

G. W. LINzOK.

TIRE TIGHTENER AND SPOKE EXTRAGTOR. No.'25l,905. Patented Jan. 3,1882.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

GEORGE W. LINOK, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

Tl RE-TIG HT'ENER AND SPOKE-EXTRACTO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 251,905, dated January 3, 1882.

7 Application filed June 27,1881. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. LINCK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas (Jity, in the county ofJackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in TireTighteners and Spoke- Extractors; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings,and to theletters orfigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of mydevice attached to the spoke of a wheel. Fig. 2 is a back view; Fig. 3, an enlarged perspective of the lever; Fig. 4, an enlarged perspective of the standard; Fig. 5,'an enlarged perspective of the link; Fig. 6, an enlarged perspective of the wedge.

My in'vention' has reference to tire-tighteners and spoke-extractors, and is designed as an improvement on the device shown in Letters Patent No.213,4l2, dated March 18, 1879; and it consists in a wedge,link, standard, and lever combined and operated as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, the letterA indicates the standard, made ofany suitable material, preferably of iron. The inside of this standard is made concave to fit a wagon-wheel spoke, and has notches a a on the back to receive a link, B, that embraces the standard, spoke, and wedge D, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The link B is open at its back end and has inwardly-projecting lugs b l and c, for engaging the wedge. The wedge D has an inner grooved surface, d, for fitting a wheel-spoke, its opposite side tapering from near the center 6 to the ends, the angle of inclination being different on each side of the center, so as to make in effect two wedges, one larger than the other.

The lever E, preferably made of wood, may

be of any desired length, and is provided with a bifurcated plate, F, for extending under the felly oneither side of the spoke. Each of the prongs f g of the bifurcated plate is strengthened by a vertical re-enforce rib, and i, ex-

tending from the front end of the prongs to a vertical extension, j, against which the end of the lever is placed and held byabolt, k, passing through the shank of the plate and the lever. The fulcrum-point of the lever is on the plate where a rounded rib, l, extends between the ribs h and t and rests upon the projecting seat G of the standard A when the lever is in use, as hereinafter described.

The plate F with its prongs f and g, ribs h,t', and l,'and extension j are preferably cast in one piece of iron; but they may be constructed in any other form or manner desired.

The operation of my device for tightening a tire is as follows Place the standard A with the grooved side upon a spoke near enough to the felly to permit of the lever being properly inserted underit, pass the open link B through to the opposite side of the spoke, resting the back end of it in the notches a a. of the stand ard, then pass the wedgeD upward under the lugs b and c'with the groove at next the spoke, and wedgeit in tight, and then pass the prongs of the lever under the folly, resting thefulcrum 1 upon the seat G, and press down the lever. This action will force the spoke into the hub and lift the felly tightagainst the tire.

While in this position inserta wedge, preferably of leather,between thefell y and the shoulder of the spoke, and remove the device from the spoke. To withdraw a broken spoke from the hub place the standard with the seat down ward against the spoke, pass the link through to the opposite side of the spoke, force the wedge down behind the lugs until it is tight, then takea piece of stout board of a suitable length, and, resting it upon the hub, place the fulcrum of the lever under the seat and the ends of the prongs upon the end of the board, and, lifting upon the lever, raise the spoke out of the hub. It will be manifest that in both of these operations the action of the lever tightens the gripe of the standard and wedge upon the spok Having thus described myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In a tire-tightener, the combination of a lever and a standard having a bearing for said lever, and connected by a link with a clampingwedge, substantially as shown and described.

2. The standard A, provided with a back- In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in wardly projecting seat, Gr, substantially as presence of two witnesses. shown and described. v I

3; The lever E, provided with a plate, F, GEORGE W. LINOK, 5 having prongsf and g, ribs l1, and. i, and a rounded fulcrum-rib, l, for resting upon the Witnesses: standard-seat G, substantially as shown and G. H. T. GREER, described. M. O. PRUNTY. 

